Arrest warrants out for Nestlé officials in Bangladesh
Dhaka court orders arrests of Nestlé Bangladesh executives after government tests find unsafe chocolate wafers and adulterated sugar
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — A special food safety court in Bangladesh has issued arrest warrants for three senior executives from two major companies after government tests found chocolate wafers and packaged sugar being marketed with dangerously substandard ingredients.
The warrants were issued on Monday by Special Metropolitan Magistrate Nusrat Sahara Bithi in connection with two food fraud cases filed by Dhaka South City Corporation, according to reporting from bdnews24.com.
Officials say the findings highlight persistent concerns about consumer protection and weak regulatory compliance in one of South Asia’s most rapidly expanding food markets.
The cases name Dipal Abe Bikrama, managing director of Nestlé Bangladesh; Riasad Zaman, public policy manager at the company; and Mostofa Kamal, owner of Meghna Sugar Refinery Limited, part of the Meghna Group of Industries.
Authorities allege the companies produced, imported or marketed products that violated Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) requirements.
Government laboratory tests found that a locally marketed KitKat chocolate-coated wafer contained high acidity levels, a sign of decomposition, with the wafer measuring 2.32 percent acidity — more than double the BSTI limit.
The chocolate coating was also found to contain significantly lower milk solids and milk fat than required, raising concerns that a product advertised as a dairy item lacked essential dairy components.
Food safety officials said the findings suggest possible adulteration, including the absence of milk in a product sold as a milk-based confectionery.
Bangladesh, where packaged snack consumption has grown sharply, has struggled with recurring cases of food adulteration, prompting calls from rights groups for stronger enforcement.
In a separate case, sugar produced by Meghna Sugar Refinery Limited was found to contain only 77.35 percent sucrose, compared with the permitted minimum of 99.70 percent. The sample also tested positive for sulfur dioxide, a preservative that should not be present under national food safety standards. Regulators say sulfur dioxide is sometimes used to artificially whiten sugar.
The KitKat products at issue had also been sold in Bangladesh without mandatory BSTI approval, according to case filings. The wafers, imported from India and Dubai, retail for between 60 and 135 taka, far higher than locally made chocolate-coated wafers.
One of the accused Nestlé officials said he would respond after reviewing the case, while Nestlé Bangladesh’s company secretary stated that BSTI had no specific standard for KitKat-type products and that imports undergo testing by another government agency.
The court scheduled the next hearing for December 15. Food safety advocates say the case underscores widening scrutiny of multinational and domestic firms amid growing public concern over adulterated food in Bangladesh.
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